Island



(No Model!) 1 2 Sheets-Shefl 1. O. A. HARKNESS.

ELEVATOR CONTROLLING DEVICE.

,807. Patented'Jan. 23, 1896.,

WaTN E5555;

' the same-letters designating UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

onAnLns A. immmnss, Ol PROVIDENCE, RIIODE ISLAND.

ELEVATOR=CONTROLLING DEVICE.

: SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,807, dated.January 28, i896.

551mm filed ootober'lt},1895-Barie1ll'o-5B8fl5l. -(No'model.)

.To dllwhom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. HARKNESS, of Providence, in the county.of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented cer- 5 min newand useful linyirovementsin Elevator-ControllingDevices, of which thefol-- lowing is aspecification.

This invention has relation to the class of elevators inwhich a cartraveling. in a well or hatchw'ay is provided with a lever or equivalenthand device supplemental to the controlling-1ine for operating thelatter.

Owing to the carelessness or inability of the operatives and to othercauses which may or is may not be reasonably avoided, there is alwaysmore .or less danger attending the en- 'trance to or exit from the carby passengers, and it is one of the purposes of this invention to reducethis-danger to a minimum by taklc iug the hand 7 operative while acorridor-door is partially or entirely open, by means cooperating withthe corridor-door, for loclaing the lover or equivalent hand device soas to prevent the latter i from being moved at such. limes.

Reference is to be had to the annexed d n \vings, and to the letters andfigures marked "thereon, forming a part of this specification,

or features, as the case may be, wherever they occur.

" ()n the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elcvation of an elevatoiacar withmy invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a front elevationa'nd a partialsection on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3 of the same, the mechanismopcrated bythe 'cor rider-door being shown also. Fi g. is a plan view of theear,showing-the corridor-door and a portionof the wall of the well insectiou.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the lock for the'l'e;

vcr of the form shown in Figs. 1, land 3,

and "is asection on the line i l of Fig. 3. Fig. 1

5 is a side elevation of a car, showing a moditied device for lockingthe lever. Fig. 6 isa horizontal section on the line 6 o of l ig. 5.Fig. 7 shows the same device employednith a different style of runningline. Fig. Sshows means for locking the lever through the onediuni ofthe line, which latter is formed partially or entirely as a chain withcentrally m'en links. Figs. Hand ifishowhow the lock' line-shiftinglever-,which 1's device from the control of the the same parts.

.may be operated to engage and lockv the hen dle itself. p

In carrying. out my invention I car a suspended in the usual way andraised and lowered by a motor (not shown) of any approved style or type.For starting, stopping, and. reversingthe motor I employ'a. line whichin Figs. 1 to lisastanding-line-that is, one relatively to which the cartravelsnndwhich is shown, in Figs. 5 to S as a running line or oneattached to the ear and travcling therewith.

Referring more particularl to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, 0 indicates iahan device on'the car operatively connected with the control ling-lineand eonsistihg in this i-nstanc'e'of the to-.a cross-shaft dextending-tinder ,{thecar and journaled in brackets e. flheleverprojeets through the floor of the car andisarranged to move in guides fonthe side thereof.

g 9 represent a two-armed lever which is keyed, or otlrcrwiserigidlysecured, to the ontwardly-projecting end of the shaft (Z, and 7t hrepresent the line-pulleys which are jour- -naled upon the ends ,0f thesaid'arms 9g.- By swinging the hand-operative lever etc the right orleft the shaft cli's'roekeclial d the pulleys 7:. 71.are'corrcspondinglyi-raised and lowered. As illustratedi-n Fig. 2, thepulleys are at a neutral posit-ion and the motor and the car are atrest. Instead of employing pulleys upon the ends of the arms, asused inconnection with a"standing-line,l may reemploy a rigidly secured movethe pulleys'and sceure'the ends of a running line tothe ends of thelever, as in Figs. 5 and (i.

i The hand-lever may be said to be in 0011- stunt engagcmentn'ith theiinc, whether the latter he a standing line or a running line, a

(through the medium of the connecting parts) i in contradistinct-ion-tobeing loose relatively to the line and adapt ed to be connected theretoby a clutch.

\Vith the parts described I provide means for locking the lever againstmovement when the latter is in a neutral position by devicescoacting'with the corridordoor. I

The wall of the well is indicated by i'and j, and the slidingcorridor-door'is indicated by 7:, there being a corridor-door for each scancer lending. I employ 2t lock fol-the corridordoor, which consistsof-two toggle-levers (on,

. pivoted together at their inner weighted ends by a pin it, the outerend of leverlbeing pivoted to the walh'i by a pin and the outer end oflever in being pivoted to the edge of the door 71 by a pin 1). 'hen thelevers are lying in the same horizontal plane with the in the directionof the arrow in Fig. 2, the

link if forces the end 3 of the lever m forward and downward, and throwsthe lever m up- -ward, so that the two levers l.-m form an angle to eachother, allowing the door to be opened by pulling upon the handle q.

."u is e two-armed lever having an ofiset u at the topof the verticalarm pivoted ail/u u pen the wall of the well, and having its horizontalarm connected with the lever l by the link 10 and having at the upperend of its perpendicular arm a projection u at right angles thereto, andextending inward toward the car.

:z'; is a cross-head, bow or abutment, having a laterally-extending bar'1] supported upon swinging links .2, one or both of which may beweighted so as to normally hold the cross-.

head firmly in the position shown in Fig. 2, (in which figure only onelink is shown as weighted,) there being a suitable stop .2 forpreventing the cross-head from swinging. too for in the direction of thestress of theweight. The links ,2 z are pi voted to brackets a upon thetop of the car.

i b" is the locking device for the lever, as

shown in. Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it consisting of a, depending bar pivoted atc to a bracket d,-

" secured below the floor of the car. The bar b is curved upon its innerface and is provided with e notch e for a purpose to be described.v Itis also provided with e laterallyextending weight f which tends tonormally Upon the shaft (1, which.

throw it forward. extends beneath the bottom of the car, I mountorsecures latch or catch g, which'is errenged to project laterally fromthe shaft, so that when the lever is in a neutral position thelocking-bar b' may swing forward until the latch or catch g is engagedby.the Walls of the notch 1 in the said swinging lock-bar. The face ofthe lock-bnr is in the are of a circle struck from the center ofthe-rockcross-head. or abutment as through the medium of rods h h h andbell-crank lovers 2" i '2",

The levers are provided with which letter are suitably pivoted to'brackets on the car. Nheu the cross heed or abutment is forced in thedirection opposite the stress of the weight it will, through the-Inediumof the said rods and levers, allow the lock-bar 'b' to engage the latchor catch g on the rock-shaft d and lock the latter in a new trelposition. i

The means for operating the cross-hend or abutment .20 consists of thetwo-armed lever -u which has been heretofore describedas being connectedby a link 10 with the toggle-lever l.

g I have illustrated the car as being-provided with duplicate cross-hez1 ls or abutlnents which are connected with 'the lock-bar I), sothat doors on different sides of the elevatorloek bar would not releasethe latch or catch until both doors have been closed. "lhis isaccomplished by connecting one/of the horizontal rods h to a largebell-crank lever z and securing the vertical red It and the other of thehorizontal rods h in Fig. 1,-to the armsof a smaller bell-crenklever ipivoted to the free arm of the large bell-crank lever t". Thus by thismeans either or both of the ab utm cuts will operate to lock the leverwhen the-door or doors are opened.

The operation of the parts. is as follows: Suppose the car to have beenbroughtto'n standstill opposite one of thecorridondoors by the operativethrowing the lever to a central or neutral position. Thefstoppiug of'thecaret the lending" brings. the cross-headgor abutment a: opposite theofiset'zi from the vertical arm of the lever 11, so that when theoperative draws upon the handle q and throws the door back the lever lliftsflthe rod 10 and forces the said olfset tdof the two-arm lever thecross-head or abutment, The

it against lever ui through the offset ufin turn thrusts the cross-heador abutment against the stress of the weight and through the medium ofthe rods 1 and bell-crank levers -i allows the lockthe lever c. Thislocking the lever is accomplished bythe slightest opening of thecorridor-door as the links or rods h. are passed through the bell-cranklevers i loosely, and hence the lock-bar b can be anld is arranged insuch close'proxim'it-y' to the as to engage it by a very slightmovement.

\Vhen the car is to be started, the door is first closed, so that thelever it with its offset u will be withdrawn from the cross-head orabutment and the latter will be caused by the weight to return to itsnormal position. returning it draws uporftlhe rods 71 and bellcra-nklevers 'i, and pulls the lock-bar away from-the latch br cetch, so as tounlock the lever. Y l i i In Figs. 5 and 6 I provide a,slightly diiter.- ent means for locking the hand operetive lever. .In these figuresit consists of a lock-bara sliding in guides b and connected withtheatchior catch -well may be locked. It will be observed that, should twodoors opening from the same floor into the shaft be opened at the sametime, the

bar I) to engage the latch or catch g and look .cross -head 51: by rodsand a bell-crank lever d. The lock-bar a, is arranged to drop intoengagement with a sector-shaped arm e suitably keyed upon the end of thecross-shaft-d.

When the cross head a: is thrust in the direc--' tion opposite thestressof the weight by the two-armed lever (not shown in this figure)the loek-bar a will'be allowed to drop into a notch f 2 in the'arm ewhen-the latter is in the upright position," by reason of-thehand-operativelever being in its neutral position, the arm e thus'constitutingja catch; A running line is shown as being employed inthese fignres instead of the standing line, it being socured to the endsof the two-armed lever g.

The latch or catch arm e in Fig. '5 or the latch=or catch'bar g in Fig.2' maybe ark ranged at either end of Lhelook-bar-d, or'at any pointintermediate of the ends;

In Figs. 7 and 8 Ihave illustrated arun ning'fline as being'lockedby-mechanism 0ppassing around the sprocket-wheel h on a thehandie orleveron the inside of the car, which is not shown. y

In Fig. 8 l have shown how the lock-bars indicated by! in this case, andoperated as vin the other figures by the cross head or abutment and itsenacting parts, may be employed to lock the hand-operative device byengaging the links of the chain g. The lock-bars are pivoted-at m one oneach. side of the chain, and are connected to the rude by means of otherlinks or rods "n When the' rod (2 is lowered, the lock-bars Z will enterthe links of the chain 9 which in this case form the catch therefor,thus locking the spro'cketwheel 71, and the hand-operative-devic'e onthe inside-of the car. (Not shown.)

I have shown two lock-bars, 'so'" as to look the line on each side ofthe wheel and prevent any possible chance of the wheel beingaccidentally turned. In practice, however, I find that a single look-issuflici'ent in most InFigs. 9 and 10 I have illustrated'the lockbar a asdropping into a notch in a casting a), forming a catch secured to thehand-operative lever c, the lock-bar a sliding in a,

guide I) on the wall of the car.

The bow y, bar vfrods h, and bell crank levers i in the instance of myinvention illus trated in Figs. 1 to 4, constitute lock-actuatingmechanism, and'in the examplesof my invention illustrated in'Figs. tothis' mechanism consists of the bow 0:, bar y, rods '0 and bell-cranklevers d In all the examples ofmy inventionillustyated in the drawings,the toggle-levers I m, link 10, and bell-crank lever nu constitute meansconnected with the door to operate the lock-actuating. mechanism so asto cause the lockto engage said hand-lever when the door ispartially orentirely open.

'1 do not herein broadly claim scar-controlling device'for elevatorscomprising a flexible line for controlling the'motor and a hand deviceon the car for operating the same,

combinedwith a movable door and a device normally disconnected from thecontrollingline and coasting with saiddoor for-prevent until itisclosed, as that forms the subject'- matter of a claim in my reissuedLetters Pat- I rent, dated January 7, 1896, and numbered,

11,520; nor doI herein make specific claim to the toggledevers Zm andthe means for operating them consisting of, the handle q and ing-theoperation of said hand device when, 4 the door is moved toward openposition, and

the link-15,1101 to such construction of the I toggle-levers as adaptthem to lock the door,

as they aredescribed and claimed in my-copending application, Serial No.565,955, filed October 17, 1895. v

- Having thus explained the nature of theinvention and described severaldevices in whichit is embodied, without, however, attempting to setforth all of the forms in which 'it may be embodiedor all of the modesof its use, I now declare that what I claim is- 1. Anelevator-controlling apparatus comprising acontrnlling-line, a handdevice on the car in constant engagement therewith, a

movable door, and a lock-coaeting with the door for locking thehand-operative device positively against movement, when the door ispartially or'entirely open.

2. An elevator-controlling apparatus, comprising a controlling-line, ahand-operative device on (the car connected therewith, a lock movablymounted on the car, lock-actuating mechanism, a door, and meansconnected with said door to, operate said lock-actuating mechanism so asto cause said hand-operative deentirely open.

vice to be locked when the door is partially or 3-. A car-controllingdevice comprising a controlling-line, a hand-lever'operatively connectedtherewith, a lock-bar mounted on the car, a movable door, andlock-actuating mechanism cnthe car, and means connected with the door tooperate said lock-actuating mechanism to lock said hand-leverwhenthe'door is partially or entirely open.

4. A car-controlling device comprising a controlling-line, ahand-leveroperatively connected therewith, a lock-bar mounted on theoperatively connected with the loek-bar, and

meansconneoted with the door and adapted to impinge upon the abutmentwhen thedoor is partially or entirely opened, and cause the lock-bar tolock the lever,

5. A car-controllingdevice, comprising a 1 car, a movable door, anabutment on the car controlling-line, a hand-l ever operativelyconnected therewith, a lockbar pivoted on the v v1.4a

ear, and adapted to lock the said handJever,

a. movable door, and a movable abutment conneeted with. the swinginglock-bar, and coecie ing with the door to lock the hand-lever whenthcgloor is partially or entirely open.

, 6. A cer controlling device comprising a controlling-line,aha-nd-lever operative] y connected with said line, a shaft on whichsaidlever is mounted, and having ala-tch thereon, a movable lock adaptedto engage said latch, a movable. abutment on the car connected withsaidlock and a door adapted to impinge upon said abutment and cause thelock to engage said latch, while the door is partially or entirely open.

'7. A car-controlling device comprising a controlling-line, a handdevice on the cer'operatively connected therewith, a catch on said handdevice, a lock for said catch and a door with which the lock coacts toen gage and lock vsaid catch while the door is partially or entirelyopen.

8. A car-controlling device comprising a controlling-line, a hand deviceon the ear in constant engagement therewith, 3, look for said handdevice, a door, and means costcting with the door for causing said handdevice to be locked by said look while the door is vpartially orentirely open.

9. .An elevator-controlling device comprisin g a controlling-line, atwo-armed lever with which the line is connected, it hand-operativelever, as at c, rigidly secured to said twoarined lover, a movable door,mid a lock 00- acting with the door for positivel y locking thehand-lever and the two-armed lever against movement when the door ispartially or entirely open. e

10. An elevator-controllingdevice compfising a controlling-line, atwo-ermed lever with which the line is connected, it hand-operative leverrigidly secured to said two-armed lever, a movable door, and aloek-barcoecting with the said-door for engaging and locking thehand-operative lever directly, when the door is partially or'entirelyopen.

In testimony whereof I have signed-my.

name to this specification, in the presence of M. B. MAY, ARTHUR W.CeossLrtv.

